• California’s Nice America is shedding 184 part-time staff in November, elevating questions in regards to the park’s future.• The Silicon Valley park’s proprietor, Six Flags, says the park will stay open for the 2026 season, and that cuts are a part of its seasonal operations.• The park’s final season could possibly be as early as 2027, except the park extends its lease for a further 5 years.
Whereas the theme park titans proceed to pack individuals in, some smaller spots which have been round for many years are struggling.
Newest within the highlight is California’s Nice America in Silicon Valley. Six Flags Leisure, the corporate that controls the park, disclosed this month that it’ll lay off 184 seasonal staff in November.
Longtime followers and analysts of the just about 50-year-old theme park and its iconic double-decker merry-go-round are nervous about its future.
Nice America shortened its season this 12 months, which can wrap up on Oct. 26, in contrast with the earlier season, when it led to early January. A lot of its stay leisure for the 2025 season was canceled this 12 months, as had been its marquee seasonal occasions, together with its Halloween-themed Methods and Treats and Winterfest, that includes Snoopy ice skating.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if this is a sign that the plug is being pulled,” mentioned Martin Lewison, affiliate professor of enterprise administration for Farmingdale State School in New York, who can be a Six Flags shareholder.
Hypothesis in regards to the timing of Nice America’s closure in Santa Clara has swirled ever because the 112 acres beneath the park had been offered to a San Francisco actual property firm in 2022.
As a part of an settlement, the park’s earlier proprietor had agreed to a lease that expires in the midst of 2028, with an possibility to increase it till the center of 2033. The earlier proprietor, Cedar Honest, had deliberate to shut the park on the finish of the lease.
One problem for Nice America and different parks in California is the rising wages and different prices of labor. One other burden is the load of the corporate’s debt.
Six Flags mentioned it filed the discover of the Nice America layoffs as required by state legislation. The Charlotte, N.C.-based firm mentioned all full-time positions at Nice America might be retained and its seasonal workers can apply to get rehired subsequent 12 months.
“This is typical of a seasonal park and the timing reflects our operating schedule,” Six Flags mentioned in a press release. “We look forward to welcoming back many of our associates in 2026.”
Six Flags mentioned it doesn’t but know what number of associates it’s going to make use of subsequent 12 months.
The San Francisco Chronicle earlier reported the layoffs.
Nice America has already began promoting season passes for 2026 at its theme park. The Gold annual season go usually consists of entry to Nice America and the close by Gilroy theme park, Gilroy Gardens.
This 12 months, in a particular deal that ends Sunday, the Gold Cross for 2026 additionally consists of entry to different theme parks within the Six Flags ecosystem, together with Knott’s Berry Farm in Buena Park, Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, and Six Flags Discovery Kingdom in Vallejo.
Six Flags has been struggling to cut back prices after a 2024 merger with Cedar Honest. Earlier this month, the corporate introduced its CEO Richard Zimmerman is stepping down.
Zimmerman mentioned in August that the corporate’s second-quarter outcomes fell wanting its expectations, noting that poor climate and a difficult shopper setting damage gross sales.
The corporate reported a internet lack of $99.6 million within the second quarter, in contrast with a internet revenue of roughly $55.6 million in the identical quarter a 12 months earlier. General park visitation was 14.2 million visitors, down 9% within the second quarter in contrast with a 12 months earlier.
Christian Dieckmann, Six Flags’ chief industrial officer, at an investor’s assembly in Might, outlined a method to regain 10 million visitors a 12 months that had been misplaced throughout the pandemic.
Throughout the Might assembly, executives mentioned their focus for the corporate has been increasing the variety of season go holders. The corporate mentioned it desires to make its parks “comfortably crowded” once more.
Growing visitor numbers and contours can increase revenues by convincing individuals to remain longer on the parks, purchase extra meals and drinks, and buy particular passes to keep away from the traces.
It has been robust for regional theme parks to compete towards different types of leisure, together with video video games, sports activities and different stay occasions.
“There are so many new distractions and ways to spend your time,” Lewison mentioned.
Opryland, a rustic music-themed park in Nashville, closed in 1997 and is now a mall. Six Flags AstroWorld in Houston closed in 2005, as did Geauga Lake in Ohio in 2007. Six Flags America and Hurricane Harbor, in Bowie, Md., will shut after its final working day on Nov. 2, and the land might be put up on the market.
Not like main theme park operators similar to Walt Disney and Common, regional theme parks usually lack the deep pockets to take a position billions of {dollars} in new parks and rides. In addition they lack new points of interest related to massive names similar to Star Wars and Harry Potter.
Six Flags is attempting to maintain up. It’s investing greater than $1 billion in 2025 and 2026 in its parks.
The corporate introduced this week that it has prolonged its licensing settlement with Peanuts Worldwide, permitting it to make use of Snoopy and the Peanuts gang for an additional 5 years.
Santa Clara’s Nice America followers need to see it thrive.
Though it could not characteristic rides from the newest Pixar motion pictures, it does provide Planet Snoopy for the youngsters. It additionally has what it calls the world’s tallest carousel and long-loved rides, like Gold Striker, one of many nation’s high 20 wood curler coasters, and the steel-inverted coaster Flight Deck, initially known as Prime Gun when it opened 32 years in the past.
For Jose Aguirre, 23, of Castro Valley, Nice America has lengthy introduced pleasure to his complete household. He mentioned his 14-year-old brother, A.J., loves using RideBlazer, which plunges riders down a single-rail observe at a 90-degree angle, and he likes tucking into the spicy hen sandwich offered close to that experience.
“It’s just overall fun — gives good memories, even if it’s like the smallest trip ever,” mentioned Aguirre, a season go holder. “It’s one of those spots you can be at in the Bay Area, and just say, ‘Oh, yeah, we’re gonna go to Great America and just hang out.’”
“This is our Disneyland,” Aguirre mentioned.
Instances workers author Rong-Gong Lin II contributed to this report.
